


The Spring Returns

by heaven_s_gate



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blushing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Self-Esteem Issues, Sick Character, Sickfic, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 12:16:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18591103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heaven_s_gate/pseuds/heaven_s_gate
Summary: Snufkin is like clockwork, always arriving on the first day of spring, early in the morning, ever since he and Moomin were kids. But what if one spring, he was late?





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> As you can tell this is based off of the episode of the anime where Snufkin is late and Moomin is ill, but with a little more Romance. Let me know if there are any errors, this is my first published fic in a very long time !

A quiet hush fell over Moominvalley the day the spring returned. The morning sunshine did not accompany the sound of gentle harmonica playing as it always did on the first day of the season. Moomintroll did not awake until half past noon, to the pitying faces of his loved ones. There was no Snufkin there.

********  
The last patches of snow on the path crunched under Snufkin's feet. Of course he was late, as if the universe didn't hand him enough hardships already. It was mid afternoon on the second day of spring by the time he was even close to those spralling hills of the valley he held so dear.   
"Moomin must be so worried!" he thought to himself, "what friend am I, making him so upset?"   
Then a frightening thought creeped its way into Snufkin's mind.  
"Or maybe," he looked towards the earth, "maybe Moomin isn't upset at all. Maybe he hasn't even noticed I'm gone..."  
Snufkin felt a lump grow heavy in his throat.  
"I have to get to him as soon as I can, I have to get home."

******  
Snufkin didn't even have a moment to set up camp that evening, or even sit on the bridge he had spent so many spring mornings, before he was ushered to Moominhouse by Snorkmaiden, Little My, and Sniff, frantically shouting at him, "Come quick-" "-it's Moomin-" "-sick!" "Hurry!" The words overwhelmed him, along with the many hands gripping at his coat, and he found he had barely processed what they had said.

Moominmamma and Moominpappa greeted him warmly, as usual, if not with much more haste and panic in their voices. Mamma even offered him coffee, but not before the whole lot had practically shoved him up the stairs and in front of Moomin's door.   
Snorkmaiden spoke first, "Moomin is really sick, Snufkin, he's barely woke at all since spring morning and all he's done is ask where you are!"  
Little My was quick to add, "Even when he's asleep he's saying 'Snufkin, oh Snufkin, are you alright? Where are you?' It would be rather annoying if it didn't sound like he was almost crying."  
Moominmamma stepped in front of the girls, gently putting a paw on Snufkin's shoulder and clearing her throat.  
"I have taken his temperature and he is well above average. He has been sweating and having rather awful shakes. I even made one of my best potions to help with a fever, but it's been a while and he doesn't seem to be getting any better. He refuses to eat and he's been holding his stomach as if he was nauseated or in pain. I'm not sure if this is at all connected to you, Snufkin, but I'm sure that he needs his best friend by his side as he recovers from whatever illness is ailing him."  
Snufkin felt all eyes on him. His stomach was in knots and his mouth felt so dry he could barely speak. He opted instead to turn on his heel and enter Moomin's room without another word. 

*******

Snufkin.   
Moomin's thoughts were filled with nothing else but his best friend.  
"He is never this late. The last time he was this late we were hardly even friends. What if something bad happened to him? What if," Moomin felt his heart drop, "what if he doesn't want to be friends anymore? What if he never comes back?"  
A wave of stomach pain took over Moomin. He was too hot. He couldn't breathe.   
"Oh it's my fault, it must be. I did something wrong, I was too clingy, too childish, I invaded his space, I pushed him away, oh my dearest friend isn't coming back and it's my fault!"

********

The door creaked open as Snufkin entered slowly, closing it gently as to not disturb his friend. Moomin. His Moomin, looking absolutely ghastly as he slept fitfully in his bed, eye bags heavy and dark, frowning even in sleep, paws gripping the covers in pain. Snufkin's mind grew loud with worrisome thoughts.  
Moomin stirred gently. Snufkin's eyes snapped up, his feet moving him to his companion's bedside before his mind even made the choice.   
Moomin blinked awake, and their eyes met.  
"Snufkin? Am I dreaming?" Moomin croaked out.  
"I'm two days late and you and the rest of the world have decided you're dying, hm?" Snufkin said, with a gentle smile.  
"O-oh..." Moomin looked positively dejected, "I'm sorry-"  
"No no!" Snufkin reached and held his friend's paw with his own, "It's just funny is all. I...I missed you too. I'm the one who should be sorry, after all, I made you worry so much you've come down with an awful fever."  
Moomin looked down at their linked paws intensely for a moment, then back up.  
"I'm feeling much better, now that you're here."  
"Oh Moomin..."  
"I thought," his voice broke, "I thought something might have happened to you. That you might have gotten really hurt or...that maybe you didn't want to come back. That I had pushed you away..."  
"Oh Moomin you could never push me away!" Snufkin leaned to hold his face gently, "you are my most treasured friend."  
"But I'm loud, and I follow you everywhere, and I ask the most silly questions, and I'm always touching you even though I know you don't like it-"  
"I don't mind touching, if it's with you. I like all those things about you, Moomin, I wouldn't be your best friend if I didn't," Snufkin's words came out calculated, slow, as if he wasn't used to speaking so much, especially about something like this.   
Moomin sniffed, "You mean it?"  
"I do," Snufkin smiled warmly at him, "I'm terribly sorry for making you feel this way. I promise it won't happen again.  
If I'm honest, I was a bit worried about you too, Moomin," he lifted his hat off to hide his face behind it, his cheeks flushed, "worried that you wouldn't even notice I was gone, or miss me at all if I didn't come back."  
"Of course I would miss you!" Moomin sat up straight in bed, a look of passion twinkling in his eyes, "I always miss you when we aren't together. Even on nights where you are here, when I'm settling in for bed, and I can see your tent but I can't speak with you or touch you or-" he cut himself off, feeling as if he had said too much.  
Snufkin looked at the ground as if it had the secrets of the universe written on it, blushing up to his ears, desperately trying to hide behind his own hat. He gave a small nod, before he quickly placed his hat where it belonged, composure regained in an instant.   
"When's the last time we had a sleepover?"  
"Well gee I dunno, had to be about-"  
"Why don't we have one now?" Snufkin swiftly crawled into bed next to Moomin, as his mouth fell open.   
"Uh...no shoes on the bed!" He scolded his friend for his poor manners, teasing.  
"Yes, your highness!" Snufkin said, kicking off his boots. Moomin giggled at that. Before long they were tucked under the covers together, smiling peacefully.   
"I'm so glad you're back," Moomin sighed.  
"Me too."  
"Can I-" he spoke timidly, "can I hug you?"  
The mumrik grinned, and nodded. They held each other tightly, Snufkin savoring how soft his friend's fur felt under his fingers.   
"You smell like dirt," Moomin smiled, "I missed that." Snufkin didn't even have half a heart to be offended, instead he started giggling. In turn, Moomin started full on laughing, and the two enjoyed a moment of joy together. Once it had died down and they had wiped their eyes, the air seemed to grow thick with tension. They stared into one another's eyes, until Snufkin's flickered down, and then back up.  
"Moomin can I," he barely breathed the words, "can I kiss you?"  
Both boys' faces flushed red.  
"I-"   
"Nevermind! Just forget I said that, I'll stay in my tent tonight if-" Snufkin made a move to leave the bed. Moomin grabbed him by the coat, ramming their noses together much harder than intended.  
"Oh jeez ow, I'm sorry, Snufkin, that wasn't a very nice kiss," he laughed as he rubbed his snout. Snufkin removed his hand from his face, turning to Moomin.   
"I...didn't mean a moomin kiss, if that's alright."  
"Oh I-" another blush, "sure. How do you do it?"  
Snufkin's paw cradled his friend's face, gently. He leaned in slow.  
"Like this," Snufkin craned his neck, and their lips met. Moomin's eyes closed and he seemed to melt.   
The pulled apart a moment later, both looking as if they had stars in their eyes. They chucked, pressing their foreheads together. "Why hadn't we done that much much sooner?"  
"I don't know, Moomin," he shrugged, "it always seemed like you were more interested in kissing Snorkmaiden."  
Moomin's brow furrowed, "Sure, Snorkmaiden is a nice play girlfriend, and a real great friend but...she's not you."  
Snufkin turned red once again. "O-oh..." he grabbed his friend, pulling them down into a hug once again. "Moomin I..." he whispered the words into his fluffy chest, "I think I love you."  
Moomin pondered this for a moment.   
"Snufkin, I think I've loved you since the day you came to Moominvalley."  
"That's good, so we're even then," Snufkin chuckled.   
"Yeah, hehe, I guess we are."  
The two spent the night asleep in each other's arms. After a long winter, the spring had returned, and they were home.


	2. Returning the Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little epilogue for you. Alternate title: caring for your picky Snufkin when he's ill.

"I just don't think it's right that you care for me like this," Snufkin's arms crossed over his chest, his head turned away. His hat was on the other side of the room, he had nothing to hide behind but the hair stuck to his head with sweat.  
"It's only fair, after all, you did help me get better, and I am the reason you got sick in the first place," Moomin laughed, "if we had only kissed like moomins do, maybe you wouldn't feel so bad."  
"Oh hush," Snufkin waved his hand dismissively, attempting to hide the growing pink in his cheeks.  
Moomin gestured with the spoon in his paw, bottle tucked against his chest in the other, "C'mon then, down the hatch."  
Snufkin flinched away from the medicine, "What's in this stuff anyway?"  
"Herbs. Medicine. Mamma made it herself. It's supposed to help with the fever and sore throat."  
Snufkin still didn't look convinced.   
"It's all natural, I promise. I know how you feel about that kind of stuff. Nothing strange or foreign in here."  
Snufkin studied the blankets, gripping them gently.  
"Have you...have you never taken medicine before?"  
"I have! I take stuff right from the source, from the plant or the treebark itself. You have to know how to do these things when you're out in the world all alone, you know."   
"Yeah, but has no one ever made you a mix like this? Mamma never offered you any?"  
"...no."  
"Oh Snufkin, don't worry, all that's in here is the same stuff you get in the wild, just all mixed up and boiled and made into liquid. I know it seems frightening, but the longer you wait to take it, the scarier it seems."  
Snufkin finally lifted his eyes. "Okay, fine, I'll take it."   
"Yay! Say 'ahh'," Moomin put the spoon gently into Snufkin's open mouth and out. He swallowed. Then-  
HACK! COUGH! WHEEZE !   
"UGH, that was foul! I would have rather eaten treebark." Snufkin wiped his mouth. "Gross."  
"It may be gross, but you'll be feeling better in no time!"  
"You are evil, Moomintroll."  
"I know," he smiled, leaning over to kiss a disgruntled Snufkin's cheek, "but you love me."  
"You're lucky I do."  
"I am. I'm the luckiest moomin in the world."


End file.
